Coronavirus: Lowering The Guard Now Would Be Disastrous
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2020-12-30 09:26:46
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
The fall in fresh Covid cases has unfortunately made the people careless. It is seen that across India, a large section of the population has lowered its guard and has become relaxed in following health protocols introduced due to the pandemic. With cases dropping, recoveries happening at a good rate, vaccines set to roll out soon and economic activity picking up, it seems that the people have made up their minds that the worse of the pandemic is behind them and they have nothing to fear.
Fortunately, the government is not, and rightly so, thinking along those lines. Although having had to relax almost all restrictions (except those on the functioning of schools and colleges) due to the severe effect on the economy, the government has come out with guidelines on "Surveillance, Containment and Caution" due to the spread of coronavirus for January 2021. The guidelines contain a set of eminently sane suggestions which need to be followed by all citizens.
If we lower the guard now, especially since winter has set in (with the attendant rise in pollution levels and fog/smog) and the New Year festivities are likely to result in people assembling in large number all over the country, it will be disastrous. A new and more dangerous variant of the virus is on the loose and has entered India from multiple sources. It is not immediately clear whether we have been able to pinpoint the sources and prevent the spread.
Hence, it is all the more necessary for us to take precautions - masking up, maintaining safe distance, not allowing overcrowding, frequent washing of hands, working remotely wherever possible, eating well and avoiding unnecessary travel - to ensure that our fight against Covid-19 is not abandoned mid-way. The vaccines are being readied and it is hoped that other cures will emerge within a few months. A few more months of self-discipline on part of the citizens will make the nation win in its fight against the deadly virus.
